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Headaches after swimming

Hi all,

I'm just wondering if anyone else experiences headaches after swimming/sports, and is it something to be worried about?

I swim 3 times a week for just over an hour each time. I do a mixture of strokes and distances, so I'm not just swimming continuously for 60 minutes. After the swim, usually by around lunchtime (I swim between around 7.45am - 9am) I will have a headache, usually around my forehead/temples. Has anyone any idea what could be causing this? Reading around on it, there were suggestions about too-tight goggles - however my goggles are not super-tight, and the eye pieces are quite small so they're not digging into my forehead. I don't usually experience any discomfort from them.

I also make sure to eat a proper meal after I'm finished, and I drink water with an electrolyte tablet during the session - I found I was experiencing foot cramps towards the end of a session, which the electrolyte tab helped with a lot. I'd typically consume between 500-700ml over a session. Is this enough, or should I be drinking more? I also have a snack before I go to the pool as well.

If anyone has any insights I'd be grateful - is it something I should see a doctor about? I'm just scared it might be something like high blood pressure, for example. If anyone has experienced something similar, I'd like to hear from you, and thanks :smile:

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 1

username2224711

Original post by gutenberg

Hi all,

I'm just wondering if anyone else experiences headaches after swimming/sports, and is it something to be worried about?

I swim 3 times a week for just over an hour each time. I do a mixture of strokes and distances, so I'm not just swimming continuously for 60 minutes. After the swim, usually by around lunchtime (I swim between around 7.45am - 9am) I will have a headache, usually around my forehead/temples. Has anyone any idea what could be causing this? Reading around on it, there were suggestions about too-tight googles - however my googles are not super-tight, and the eye pieces are quite small so they're not digging into my forehead. I don't usually experience any discomfort from them.

I also make sure to eat a proper meal after I'm finished, and I drink water with an electrolyte tablet during the session - I found I was experiencing foot cramps towards the end of a session, which the electrolyte tab helped with a lot. I'd typically consume between 500-700ml over a session. Is this enough, or should I be drinking more? I also have a snack before I go to the pool as well.

If anyone has any insights I'd be grateful - is it something I should see a doctor about? I'm just scared it might be something like high blood pressure, for example. If anyone has experienced something similar, I'd like to hear from you, and thanks :smile:

Hiya, I don't swim but I would just advise that you see your GP to see what they say. I would especially advise this if it happens everytime you go swimming.

Hope you feel better soon, ravioliyears x

Reply 2

ellej93

Sometimes it happens to me too. I don't know why I though it is normal but not always anyway. I just drink medicine and then sleep.

Reply 3

username1560589

Does it happen without goggles?

Reply 4

TaintedLight

Original post by ravioliyears

Nananananannananananana

Reply 5

username2224711

Original post by TaintedLight

Nananananannananananana

Well there isn't any other answer to give.

Reply 6

gutenberg

Original post by ravioliyears

Thanks. I'll see if it persists into next week, and then decide whether to check in with the GP.

Original post by ellej93

Sometimes it happens to me too. I don't know why I though it is normal but not always anyway. I just drink medicine and then sleep.

Yeah I usually just take one ibuprofen tablet and then I'm fine - usually it's gone by early evening. As I said above I'll see if they persist, and then decide- I don't want to be popping an ibuprofen every second day!

Original post by morgan8002

Does it happen without goggles?

I never swim without goggles, so I couldn't say. The fact that I've swum with goggles for years and am only now developing the headaches is what's worrying me a bit. They're not new goggles either, I've had them for about 6-7 months now so they're well broken-in and stretched a bit.